HDTVs are moving close to the movie-theater experience with the introduction of Cinema 21:9 from Philips. It is a 56-inch LCD that offers an aspect ratio of 2.33:1, the same that is used in movie-theaters across the country.

There are little other details released about the specs of this HDTV as of yet, but it is confirmed that it will be using the Philips Ambilight technology for background luminance.

Television shows currently use 16:9 aspect ratio while movies are usually wider, which is why most widescreen TVs must correct distortion by using the black bars at the top and bottom. However, with this new, even wider TV from Philips, it looks like the average TV show will see some vertical black bars to compensate for the length of the screen.

Despite this drawback, the new screen size may display movies more naturally. The Philips Cinema 21:9 is expected in late February.